6.10 technology based (Accelerated Reader, Write to Read, etc.)
One approach to teaching literacy is a technology approach. There are many things available online that focus on different aspects of reading such as phonics, fluency, and comprehension. Some advantages of using these types of curriculum approaches are high student engagement, a wide variety of resources are available, and scoring is often done automatically along with computer-generated feedback about a student’s learning. Schools can use these programs in addition to other materials to help achieve a reading curriculum that addresses all aspects of reading. Some drawbacks of using technology based programs are cost, maintenance of technology, and teacher and student training about using the program.
The first artifact I chose is a Decision Framework that I created in a class focusing on using technology in the classroom to teach literacy. This framework tells which technology based resources I would use and describes how they fit each aspect and different types of learner that may be in my classroom. The next artifact I chose is an article about Accelerated Reader and the pros and cons of using it in the classroom. I thought this was interesting because it talked about rewarding kids who met their goals with certificates and how this was intended to be motivating, however those kids who weren’t receiving certificates or were reading at a lower level were less motivated because other students’ were receiving incentives and they were not. The third artifact is a response that I wrote for discussion board about using technology in the classroom and why it is beneficial. This response was based off of several articles that I read and research that I cited in the response. The last artifact is another response I wrote for discussion board when I evaluated websites based on what they teach. It was helpful for me to have specific criteria in mind when I was looking at these websites instead of just deciding if I “liked” them or not. This made me think about the reasons why I would like a website and exactly what purpose it would serve in my classroom.
One approach to teaching literacy is a technology approach. There are many things available online that focus on different aspects of reading such as phonics, fluency, and comprehension. Some advantages of using these types of curriculum approaches are high student engagement, a wide variety of resources are available, and scoring is often done automatically along with computer-generated feedback about a student’s learning. Schools can use these programs in addition to other materials to help achieve a reading curriculum that addresses all aspects of reading. Some drawbacks of using technology based programs are cost, maintenance of technology, and teacher and student training about using the program.
The first artifact I chose is a Decision Framework that I created in a class focusing on using technology in the classroom to teach literacy. This framework tells which technology based resources I would use and describes how they fit each aspect and different types of learner that may be in my classroom. The next artifact I chose is an article about Accelerated Reader and the pros and cons of using it in the classroom. I thought this was interesting because it talked about rewarding kids who met their goals with certificates and how this was intended to be motivating, however those kids who weren’t receiving certificates or were reading at a lower level were less motivated because other students’ were receiving incentives and they were not. The third artifact is a response that I wrote for discussion board about using technology in the classroom and why it is beneficial. This response was based off of several articles that I read and research that I cited in the response. The last artifact is another response I wrote for discussion board when I evaluated websites based on what they teach. It was helpful for me to have specific criteria in mind when I was looking at these websites instead of just deciding if I “liked” them or not. This made me think about the reasons why I would like a website and exactly what purpose it would serve in my classroom.